Now Reading: Govt asks if Meta’s algorithm makes it publisher under IT Act
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Govt asks if Meta’s algorithm makes it publisher under IT Act
The government is examining whether Meta's recommendation systems and paid content promotion breach its intermediary status under the IT Act, sources told PTI. If platforms decide what content is shown to whom,…
The Story in Brief
The government is examining whether Meta's recommendation systems and paid content promotion breach its intermediary status under the IT Act, sources told PTI. If platforms decide what content is shown to whom, it is akin to publishing and they must take responsibility, the sources said. Section 79 of the IT Act grants intermediaries a safe harbour from liability for third-party content, subject to due diligence. The government will review its engagements with Meta before seeking a legal opinion, and plans to question other platforms.
Separately, the government has asked Meta to address deepfakes, child sexual abuse material, and unlabelled synthetic content. Officials want more human oversight in content moderation and better understanding of Indian languages. Meta's team, led by global affairs head Joel Kaplan, met IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and IT Secretary S Krishnan this week. The company assured it is working hard on these concerns.
The Indian Opinion
The government's push to treat Meta as a publisher if its algorithms curate feeds is a sharp turn that will echo well beyond one company. Yet the distinction is real: an intermediary that merely hosts is different from one that decides what you see next. The test will come when the government names what it wants changed. If Meta must label synthetic content and curb viral deepfakes, that is due diligence. If it is told to stop ranking content, the free-internet crowd will rightly ask where that line falls. Watch whether the government seeks a legal opinion before the next round of talks. That will show if this is policy or posturing.
Sources (3): deccanherald.com, livemint.com, rediff.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
